


A Cophine Fairy Tale

by FrenchClone, lesbian_geek_spiral



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Angst, Dragons, F/F, Fantasy, Romance, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-09-08 23:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8867710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchClone/pseuds/FrenchClone, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbian_geek_spiral/pseuds/lesbian_geek_spiral
Summary: Once upon a time there was a magnificent princess, with curly golden hair… Because this is a fairytale, nothing can be done without a blind king, an evil stepmother, a spell; and the unavoidable quest for True Love.





	1. The Curse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Adherentnerdhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adherentnerdhi/gifts).



> A fairy tale for our adorable buddy Adherentnerdhi, for her kindness and friendship inspires us.

Once upon a time in a kingdom far-far away, there stood a castle. And within that castle lived a princess, the most beautiful woman in the entire land. Her long hair shone like the golden sunrise upon the rich fields surrounding the high castle, and the intensity of her brown eyes stared on you always with softness and kindness

She had grown up happily, singing and dancing within the castle gardens. Loved by all those who saw her, and admired by all those who heard of her brilliance and gentleness. Her name was Delphine, and songs were sung of that name in all corners of the Kingdom and those kingdoms bordering it.

The King and the Queen raised her to rule over the land with wisdom and compassion, come the time that she would inherit the throne. 

But, the summer of her 21st birthday, the beloved Queen died suddenly of a mysterious disease. The pain of the King and the Princess was unbearable, and for a long year, the entire kingdom grieved for the loss of their Queen. 

One morning, after practicing her lute in the garden amongst the white roses, Delphine found a smile upon her father’s face for the first time since her mother had passed away.

“My dear Daughter, I have a wonderful news,” he said, as he sat on the bench beside her. “I have found you a new mother.”

Delphine dropped her lute in surprise. “What do you say, Father?” She thought he must be joking, for her mother was irreplaceable. “A new mother? How can this be?”

“Delphine, a king can’t stand alone, is nothing without a woman. You are my only child and I must have another child, for the safety of the throne, and our Kingdom.”

“Father… I understand you, and you know how much important the safety of the throne is to me,” said Delphine gently. “I trust you and I am impatient to meet my new… mother.”

“Good, because the wedding is in a fortnight. She shall arrive soon, and you I hope you will make her feel right at home.”

“Of course Father. As you wish,” Delphine said. She stood up and curtsied. “I will tell the servants to prepare a room for their new Queen.”

She took her lute, which had been her mother’s possession, and went back to the castle, with tears in her eyes. She made her way down towards the kitchens and instructed the cooks to prepare a festive meal for their new Queen. Then she told a handmaiden for to prepare a room for the new Queen, and ordered the great hall to be adorned lavishly. 

Two weeks later, everything was ready for the wedding. All the noble Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom were gathered. All the loyal subjects of the King came from North and South, East and West, to celebrate the new era. The castle was adorned with a thousand red and white roses, and wines and champagne flowed freely. Everyone was already singing and dancing before the wedding ceremony had taken place. When the King appeared at the balcony, with his new wife beside him, the clamors of the people melted with the trumpets and drums as the music rose from the entire castle. 

It was a shiny day, a wonderful day for all the people. 

Delphine’s dress was magnificent, a pattern of birds and flowers was embroidered upon her skirt with golden thread. Her ceremonial crown stood between her curls, shimmering in the light of the candles. She smiled politely, and danced with grace, but her within her eyes a sadness shone; her new mother, her new queen had been ever so pleasant, but somewhere deep inside her Delphine felt a seed of doubt had been planted. The woman had seemed to come out of thin air, and her father was blindly in love; he hardly remembered his late wife. The new Queen had a dark mind, with a smile that never left her face, and yet never quite reached her eyes.

At the end of the evening, after the feast and after each of the guests had eaten and drunk their fill during the banquet, Delphine stood up and took her glass made of the purest crystal and spoke loudly: “My dearest Father, if I may speak for all gathered here today, and those who live under your fair reign, after all you deserve a happy and long marriage, with your new wife...” she lifted her glass at the newly wed couple beside her. “...my new mother,” she added, her voice stumbling ever so slightly over the last word. “I wish you a happily ever after. To the King! To the Queen!”

All the crowd repeated after her: “To the King! To the Queen!’” and added “To the Princess Delphine; fairest of them all!”

Once the cheering and applause had quieted down, the King spoke. “Thank you, my beloved Daughter.”

Next to him, the new Queen sat, sulking. She looked intently at Delphine, and met her glance with a poisonous stare. 

Delphine sat down and felt her heart beating fast, too fast. She looked around her, at the smiling Princes and the cute Princesses, the Lords and Ladies; everybody eating and drinking. They all seemed so happy and the Princess felt so lonely. While the musicians began to play again, it suddenly became insufferable for Delphine to stay in the great ballroom between all these happy people. 

After saying goodbye to her father and stepmother, she left the feast and walked through the dark corridors of the castle, without a goal in mind. Her feet had led her to a door without her being aware. At the end of the corridor, Delphine stood in front of her mother’s bedroom. She went inside.

Since a year, these private rooms had been empty, and now, there was a new bed, new furniture, some clothes scattered all around the rooms. 

Surprised, Delphine said to herself: “Oh Mother! What happened?...” She sat on the bed and began to cry, a hand on her mouth: “I miss you… I miss you so very much… Mother, Mother… Where are you Mommy?”

“I am here my daughter.”

Delphine lifted up her head, and through her tears she saw the new Queen: “What are you doing here?”

“These are my new private apartments,” sneered Delphine’s stepmother.

“How dare you?” said the young blonde woman, as she stood up from the bed, “these are the rooms of my Mother!”

“Were. They were the rooms of your late mother, and now, they’re my own private rooms, and I am your new mother. Your father gave them to me. Furthermore, I don’t remember to have invited you to come in without my permission, therefore, please my dear child, go to your own bedroom, you told us you were exhausted,” said the icy Queen. She stepped to the side to let Delphine exit the room, which was no longer filled with lovely memories. 

Maybe for the first time of her life, Delphine felt anger in her soul and she couldn’t hide it, it was impossible to restrain from herself: “I am not your dear child! You are not my mother! You are… you are… “ 

“What? I am what? How would you dare to speak to me like that, naive and stupid princess?” said the Queen, challenging Delphine.

The gentle Delphine, who was always in control of her words and feelings, who was always afraid to hurt the people around her, couldn’t help but exploded: “You are nothing, and certainly not my mother, nor the queen!”

The Queen smiled maliciously: “Are you sure, little girl? Look at the crown on my head, the ring at my finger… Do they mean nothing to you? Because they certainly mean something to your father.”

“I know the meaning of that crown better than you ever shall. It was the crown of the Queen! The ring of the Queen! My mother, the real Queen!” shouted Delphine, out of herself, and with tears in her eyes. “You can have them, wear them, parade in the castle and on the streets with them, it means nothing to me or to my people.” 

The Queen tried to keep a calm tone of voice, but Delphine heard the anger and the jealousy when she said: “You may stop talking to me like that, Delphine. Your beauty will not protect you forever. I know who you are. Your fake kindness and your gentle smiles do not trick me; I know women like you.” 

The Queen stepped across the room, threatening the young woman: “Life is easy for you, you do not have to fight for food, for a safe place where you can sleep. You do not have to fight for love.”

Delphine became afraid and stared at her without understanding a word the woman said.

The Queen continued her foolish speech: “I know who you are, my sweet princess, but you have no idea who I am… You are right, I am not your weak and sick mother. I am the one who will teach you some respect! Please, enjoy my first lesson!”

Suddenly, an odd silence filled the dark room. The Queen stopped speaking, her eyes become totally and oddly white and Delphine couldn’t move anymore. She noticed a new and heavy necklace around her own neck.

A croaky voice came out of the Queen’s throat:

 

_Delphine the Beauty, Delphine the Immaculate_  
_I place a curse upon you with this amulet_  
_Your body parts shall switch their rightful place_  
_Your arms shall be your legs, your bum shall be your face_

_Only true-love’s-kiss shall break the spell_  
_And once again you shall be well_  
_Beware for a kiss from anyone but your Soulmate_  
_The spell shall be renewed, and thus is your fate_

 

A cold spread out from the spot where the amulet touched her chest. She felt the cold spread from her skin, into her flesh and bones, across her limbs. When it reached the ends of her hair, Delphine lost consciousness. The last thing she saw was the Queen grinning maliciously.


	2. Beast

Delphine groaned into her feather pillow. She had a horrible pounding headache. Briefly she wondered whether she had perhaps drunk too much wine at last night’s feast, but then she recalled that she had left early.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and stared out from between the canopy. How had she gotten into bed, she did not recall reaching her room last night. Delphine rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Something was off, she noticed. The sleepiness made her clumsy, but sitting on the edge of the bed, Delphine poked herself in the nose, and missed her eyes altogether. 

She stared at her hands… Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Slowly, she turned her hands around and inspected her palms. Her thumbs touched each other, and she deliberately flexed and relaxed her fingers. She turned her hands about to have a look at the back. It was almost as if they were not her own hands.

Suddenly it hit her. Delphine gasped. Her left hand was on her right side, and her right hand was where her left hand should be. It wasn’t much of a problem, she still had both hands. But it was impossible to do anything with them; everything she tried to do seemed backwards. 

Gracelessly, Delphine took a long drink of the glass of water standing besides her bed. She spilled half of it over her nightgown. 

Dazed, Delphine got up from the bed and walked across the room. She glanced into the tall mirror and saw herself with her two mixed up hands. She no longer looked the image of elegance and dexterity. Her golden hair was in disarray, her nightgown wet and her body unnaturally disfigured.

A tiny golden shimmer on her chest pulled her attention away from her hands towards her breast. Clumsily, she took the amulet in her right hand, or maybe her left, she was not entirely sure which hand it was herself.

It was a simple golden amulet, with a plain golden chair which was fastened around her neck. Hesitantly, Delphine traced the seemingly random pattern scratched into its surface. With a cold shiver, she suddenly remembered the previous night.

Panicked, Delphine tried to take the amulet off. The harder she pulled and twisted, the colder it grew. She could not lift it above her head, and she could not break the chain. At last, she gave up. Her neck had grown red and painful. She had grown tired of struggling with it.

Delphine sat down, and took a deep breath. Methodologically, she went over last night’s events. After she had left the party, and had tried to find some comfort in her mother’s old rooms, someone had come in. Delphine’s memories were slightly blurry. She ran her left hand, or maybe her right, she could no longer tell them apart, through her hair.

The new Queen, her stepmother, had been there. Gradually, Delphine’s mind started to clear. There had been a fight, she recalled, and then the Queen had given her the amulet now hanging around her neck.

In a blur, she remembered some words said by her stepmother: _“I place a curse upon you…”_

“What does it mean?” said Delphine. “What happened to me?”

She heard the devilish woman speak inside her head: _“Your body parts shall switch their rightful place…”_

“It must be a joke.. It can not be true!” yelled a panicked blonde woman. “Am I perhaps still asleep? Is this all a bad dream?”

But it wasn’t a dream. Delphine knew the Queen had cursed her the night before, in her Mother’s rooms. 

Like a whisper in her ear, she remembered the poisoned words: _“Only true-love’s-kiss shall break the spell, and once again you shall be well…”_

Determined, Delphine stood up and ran out her bedroom, through the castle’s corridors to her father’s rooms. She burst into the room without bothering to knock. 

“Delphine, my dear daughter,” the King said. He was seated in front of the window, looking out over his kingdom. 

Standing right behind him was the new Queen. “Delphine, my dear daughter,” she echoed. “You left so suddenly after our wedding feast, were you not enjoying yourself?”

“Father, may I talk to you please?” Delphine said, completely ignoring the woman standing behind her father. “In private?”

“Delphine, do not be rude with your mother.”

The young woman just now saw the amulet with markings similar to the one around her own neck at her father’s neck and understood she wasn’t the only to be cursed by this evil Queen. She said hesitantly: “Yes Father. Of course…” 

She looked at the Queen to say: “I am sorry…” and added: “Mother.” With a frown, Delphine looked a little closer; her stepmother was standing in a dark corner, but the Princess could not help but notice her appearance had changed overnight. Her skin was covered with dark ink, wrapped around her arms and neck in intriguing exotic patterns. She appeared to have aged at least half a century overnight, but the King did not seem to have noticed.

“What do you want Delphine?” asked the King

“I am sorry, Father. I wanted to know if the Prince of the lands to the East is still in the castle?” Delphine recalled dancing with him last night, he was a handsome man, and a good dancer. Sure, his conversation was limited to hunting and horses, but he had been kind to her. It was the first name she could remember.

“The Prince of the lands to the East? Obviously he’s still here, with his parents. I guess you can find him at the wing of the North where all the guests are staying.” The King added with a grin: “Do we have to plan another wedding soon?...” 

Delphine chuckled: “Oh Father! Please…” and she left them to go to the wing of the North. 

In one of the guest rooms she found him, still strong and handsome. He was packing his bags, about to leave for his homeland again. “Princess Delphine, how lovely of you to come say farewell,” he said when she entered his room.

“Not a farewell, Prince of the East, only a goodbye. I couldn’t let you leave my castle without a proper sendoff.”

The Prince nodded, smiling expectantly. 

Delphine’s heart pounded in her throat. She slowly walked closer to him, leaning upwards. After a deep breath, Delphine quickly gave him a peck on his lips. She pulled back and took a few steps back.

“Hey my beauty, don’t go! I want to kiss you again! I know you will love it…” 

Delphine looked at her hands. It had worked, they were in their correct locations again. With a sigh of relief, she smiled at the Prince.

“Wow, what is wrong with you?” he almost yelled, shoving her away from him.

Insecure, Delphine stumbled back. She touched her face, searching for mistakes. She didn’t feel her nose, but a small hole instead of her familiar facial features. She turned her head and saw in a mirror her belly button where her nose was suppose to be. Shocked, she ran from the room, had she kissed this handsome Prince wrong?

 _“Beware for a kiss from anyone but your Soulmate...The spell shall be renewed, and thus is your fate,”_ the voice of the Queen haunted her. It reminded her, she did not just need to kiss any man, she needed to find her True Love.

Delphine set upon her quest to find the one to cure her from this terrible curse. For months, she summoned all the Princes and noblemen from the Kingdom and beyond. She kissed each of them, the short and the tall, the thick and thin, the fast and slow, the witty and the slow-minded, the blond and the dark haired, the left handed and the right handed, she kissed all the men of royal status in the entire Kingdom. 

With every kiss, her body changed. At times she had ears where her eyes should be and vise versa. And the next time her toes switched places with her fingers, and so on, until she no longer could keep track of her disfigurements.

She grew weary as she slowly ran out of noble men to kiss in the Kingdom and beyond. More often she was found alone in her room, retreated from the world. The people of the castle no longer spoke of her brilliance and gentleness, but they whispered behind her back of her desperation and ever-changing disfigurements.

Her Father was oblivious, though he took great pride in her efforts to find a suitable King to help her rule the Kingdom once he would be no more. Her stepmother however always seemed to be standing right around the corner, taking great pleasure in Delphine’s condition. She grinned, and told Delphine it was her price for her pride again and again.

One morning, the desperate Delphine, walking on her hands, for her feet were currently located where her ears should be and her ears were attached to her ankles, found herself the courtyard of the castle. It had been weeks since she last had found a suitable man to kiss, and of course it had not worked. She sat on a bench and tried, one more time, to remove the amulet from her neck.

Tugging, she knew it would not work. Her neck was always red and raw these days, as she obsessively kept trying to tear the chain around her neck. With a groan, she attempted to distract herself from the curse. She still carried her lute around, though she did not play it often anymore. Hesitantly at first, she started playing a simple melody. And then a more complex one, until she found herself completely entranced by her own music.

It was the first time since months she felt some relief. Living with a different body almost everyday, with her blinded father and her machiavelic stepmother had become unbearable and the sweet princess had grown completely debilitated. 

Her lute play was interrupted by the sound of one of the horses from the stables beside Delphine. She looked up, and saw one of the stable boys watching her.

He did not look away, but instead grinned cockily back at her. Without her invitation, he walked over, and sat down besides her. He was about Delphine’s age, but looked much older. His hands were calloused and he smelled of hay and sweat. He was not fair faced like the noble lords she was used to, yet he looked kind enough.

Slightly shocked at his brashness, Delphine did not react. It was not as if she could easily walk away either way, so quietly, she waited to see what this disrespectful stable boy wanted. 

He came near to her: “Hello young Princess, yer still beautiful to me, ya know?”

Delphine frowned. She did not understand what he meant, having your ears where your feet should be made hearing a bit hard for her at times. 

The stable boy took the opportunity as the blond woman sat silently while she tried to comprehend his words. He took her face in his hands and kissed her fiercely. 

Delphine pulled back almost as quickly as his lips touched hers. She stared at the rough face of the stable boy for a moment, and laughed out loud. Her ears were at the sides of her head, and her feet at the bottom of her legs. She glanced at the rest of her body, and could detect no changes, a talent she had grown quite experienced in. How could it have been, that after searching amongst all the noblemen in all the Kingdoms, her True Love had been working in the stables of her father’s castle all this time?

Giddy, her hands on his cheeks, she pulled him close once again, and kissed him with intent this time. A scream came out from the boy’s throat and some blood drops felt from his mouth on the courtyard’s ground. 

Delphine tasted the boy’s blood in her mouth and touched her lips to wipe it off. She noticed a strange sensation on her tongue. Carefully, she touched it, and felt the teeth upon her tongue. With a strangled moan, she realized that this time her teeth had switched places with her tastebuds. She must have bitten the stable boy while she had been unaware of the sudden change. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice odd and twisted.

“Get away from me, you disgusting beast!” he yelled, pushing her further away.

Delphine lost her balance, and fell of the bench. She sat on the ground and watched the furious stable boy walk away. She stood up, took her lute and walked to her rooms. During a brief moment, the Princess had been happy. She thought she had found her True Love; a very unexpected man, but still a man who could break the diabolic curse. Unfortunately, it had been a dream. Not a man all around the world can save her, neither a prince nor a stable boy. She was definitively alone and, in a way, luckily. After this last kiss, her body looked like a normal body and nobody could notice her weird and dangerous tongue. 

Maybe it was the time to stop searching for her soulmate? Delphine had made up her mind. In her room, she gathered her necessities, wrapped her lute into a blanket and without saying goodbye to anyone, she left the castle. She had no intent to stay in a place where she was ridiculed and thought to be a monster. A place where her own father was blind to her suffering, and his wife controlled his every thought.

With tears in her eyes, Delphine looked around the familiar room once again. As she pulled her robe around her and picked those things she intended to bring with her, she angrily vowed to never speak to another human being again. She would not let them see who she was; she would live free of their shallow judgements.

Quietly, she sneaked into the stables. The stable boy, and the horse master were working on the other end of the building, Delphine could just see them, but they did not notice her. Without a word, she managed to lift the saddle onto her black horse, and guided it outside.

None of the guards at the gate stopped her. Surely they would tell their King, and the Queen, that the Princess had left the building, but if she was fast she would be able to get lost before they were able to find her. She knew where she wanted to go and she didn’t need long before she rode into the woods. 

Later, someone said that he saw a young lady, with beautiful and golden hair, sink in the deep forest. He just remembered her lovely back, and the lute slung over her shoulder as the trees seemed to embrace the mysterious lady…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t despair dear readers, Cosima will join the story soon…


	3. Words are Dead

Riding on her white horse, a woman passed through the forest. Her presence went almost unnoticed, so quiet was she. The sound of the horse’s hooves were dampened by the thick blankets of moss on the ground. He followed a path only he could see, knowing his way home.

The woman on his back sat almost completely still; with her head slightly tilted, she listed to the birds sing and watched the leaves dance in the golden sunlight filtered by the canopy up high. Her hair slowly bounced with the rhythm of the horse’s tread, it was braided in a peculiar pattern, and bound tightly on top of her head. Her clothes were a mismatch of colours and patterns, swaying loosely around her. It was warm, even in the shadows of the trees. Her arms and face were bare, showing a patchwork of patterns and figures inked into her skin, and silver jewelry dangling from her fingers and ears.

From the bags on her saddle came the strong smell of herbs and spices from far-away lands. Her tattoos however marked her as one of the ancient tribes. Without doubt, this woman was a witch, a good witch, using her powers for healing and improving life.

Suddenly, and without warning, the witch stopped her horse. She listened with more intent, and frowned deeply.

In the distance, a clear sound rang through the woods. The pure voice sang of an ancient love song, the sound bounced between the leafs, and rolled over the boulders towards the witch. Strong and proud it beckoned her to investigate the source.

“Wait here,” the witch told her horse. She left him to nibble on the grass, and wandered off into the undergrowth, following the song.

The sound led her to a lake, not that far from where she had left her horse. Climbing over the large boulders, the witch saw a beautiful woman, wearing a magnificent, yet stained, blue dress, singing and playing her lute. She was sitting on a grey stone, close to the shore of the lake. Her blond hair was undone, with some leafs trapped in the mess of curly hair.

To the strange singer’s left side, there was a cave with some necessities: a plate and a cup made of silver, a golden brush, some other equally stylish clothes, and a blanket. On her other side, there was a black horse, fastened to a tree.

Her song was the saddest poetry the witch had ever heard. It was a story about a prince and a kitchen maid, a lost love in a kingdom far-far away. Despite the fact that the witch disapproved this kind of foolish fairy tales people told their children, she couldn’t stop listening and admiring the woman’s lovely voice. 

Coughing to draw the attention of the woman, the witch walked in her direction, a large smile on her face: “Good morning my lady! You have an absolutely stunning voice, it’s such a pleasure to hear you sing.”

Delphine stood up and stopped to sing abruptly. She stared at this strange woman dressed in exotic garments, with hair Delphine had never seen before and more jewelry wrapped around her pinky than Delphine had owned her entire life. 

Suddenly, she noticed the patterns on the other woman’s arms and felt a heavy cold in her chest. Delphine remembered the first time she had seen the same kinds of drawings very well; it had been on her stepmother’s forearms! The Princess became frightened. She looked all around her, trying to find an escape; but she couldn’t move. There was nowhere to run away; the other woman was between her and the horse, and behind her was the lake. Delphine stepped back and her feet touched the cold water. 

The witch approached her slowly: ”My name is Cosima. Don’t be scared, I mean no harm… Let me help you, if you don’t mind,” she added, offering her hands to pull Delphine out of the lake.

The Princess shook her head to refuse Cosima’s offer, and climbed out of the water herself, trying to put as much distance between the stranger and herself. With her lute in her hand, she tried to go to the cave.

Cosima approached, speaking gently: “You have a beautiful lute there… May I see it please?” She held her hands up so Delphine could see they were empty, if it had not been for those marks upon her arms, Delphine would have trusted this kind-faced woman immediately. 

Cosima noticed how afraid this beautiful woman seemed to be, afraid but also different from the other women she had met before. She was quite fascinated by the blond and didn’t want to abandon her before she had even met her. It was quite obvious that something had frightened her and Cosima wanted to know what had happened to fair-voiced stranger?.

Delphine sat on a boulder, close to the cave. Her horse was so distant to her, and she couldn’t run away without him. She had to be patient.

Cosima came near to Delphine: ”May I sit here?” 

Delphine nodded. 

Cosima opened her bag and took some bread and some cheese from it: “Do you want some?... I made it myself you know!”

The Princess hesitated, she was so hungry! She left the castle a week ago, and it had been very difficult for her to find food. Usually, every imaginable food had been served upon the table, feeding herself had never been her concern. But now, she had only eaten some apples and pears she had found in the woods, and she gave a man a precious ring for a bread four days ago, but all that food was gone now, and she was starving.

However, because of the drawings on Cosima’s body, Delphine couldn't trust this woman and she refused the food with a fervent shake of her head.

Surprised, Cosima said: “Well, my Lady, as you wish… But, I’m sorry, I can’t wait, I’m hungry!” and she started to eat the cheese, added :”It’s beautiful here, don’t you think?... I love this place, it’s so peaceful.”

Delphine stayed silent, watching her hands on her lap. 

Cosima kept talking, moving her arms to emphasise her remarks. Suddenly, she stopped to speaking and listened around her. She had heard a strange noise, from her lovely neighbour: “Is it your tummy I hear right now? Or a cruel beast from the depths of the woods?” She continued, with a wink: “A pretty starved girl actually!”

Delphine turned her head to the lake and blushed; she couldn’t help but to confess that the cheese and the bread seemed very good, and her body spoke for her where she had vowed not to ever speak to another human being again.

Cosima again offered her some food and, this time, the Princess accepted it and ate it hungrily, nodded to thank the woman who exclaimed: ”Oh yes, My Lady, please, eat as much as you wish! I have plenty.” She smiled widely at Delphine; to encourage and reassure her.

Without holding back any longer Delphine ate until she had had her fill. She hid her mouth behind her curls, so that she was sure that Cosima would not see the beast she was. Her condition made it difficult to chew the food properly, but after a long week, Delphine had learned to manage.

While Delphine was eating, Cosima was talking. She spoke of the woods, and the creatures hidden within it. She talked of the many hidden pathways, and of her travels to faraway lands. Briefly, she mentioned the news from the Kingdom, yet she did notice Delphine’s shocked expression when she talked of the missing Princess. All around the Kingdom, everybody adored the Princess was. Also, everybody knew the Throne’s heir was a tall woman with curly blond hair. Would it be possible that Cosima was actually sitting right next to the Princess? 

Once Delphine was completely filled, they shared some of the most refreshing wine Delphine had ever drank. She longed to thank this kind stranger, but remained silent, as she had vowed to be forevermore.

“I heard you sing earlier, why are you so quiet now?” Cosima asked suddenly.

Delphine stared at Cosima, her mouth tightly shut. She sadly shook her head, looking down at the mossy rocks below her feet.

“Perhaps, some day, I shall be blessed enough to hear your beautiful voice once again,” Cosima said as she took Delphine’s hand in her own.

The Princess could not help but smile at such a comment. Remembering Cosima’s earlier request, she handed her lute to the other woman.

Careful, Cosima looked closer at it. She stirred a few strings, but did not play. When Delphine looked at her with the obvious question in her eyes, she answered, “Yeah, no. I can’t play the lute, sorry.” She handed the instrument back to Delphine.

Delphine pointed at the leftover bread and cheese, and gestured that it had been very tasty. She was slowly starting to relax around this stranger, and through gestures and facial expressions, she managed to ask a few questions, which Cosima eagerly answered for, while the Princess was silent, the other woman enjoyed talking very much.

All the while, Delphine could not help but wonder about Cosima’s intentions. This kind and talkative stranger, dressed so oddly, still was bearing those awful tattoos which Delphine would always remember as her diabolic stepmother’s tattoos. At long last, when Delphine had found enough courage, she moved a little closer to Cosima. Slowly, she reached out and with just the tips of her fingertips, she trailed the pattern on the other woman’s arm. With big brown eyes, she asked Cosima the question she could not open her mouth for.

Cosima smiled and said: “Do you think they’re pretty?”

Delphine shivered, and shook her head.

“Oh, well… Uhm, they’re not for pretty anyway,” Cosima defended, slightly taken aback. She did not hesitate, and explained the purpose of her tattoos. Usually, she would not tell a stranger; most people found it frightening to hear their true meaning, but for some reason she could not specify, Cosima felt she could trust this peculiar girl. “They’re magical markings, you see. These right here are the first I got, after my very first spell,” she said, and pointed at a small abstract pattern on her wrist. Then she indicated a large and intertwined knotted mark on her upper arm, “And the one over here I received when I was officially initiated in the Sisterhood.”

Hesitantly, Delphine touched the figure on Cosima’s upper arm. She frowned at the mention of a sisterhood. After what her stepmother had done to her, Delphine no longer doubted the existence of magic, yet she had no clue how it worked. Perhaps this stranger would be able teach her, maybe Delphine could learn to undo her curse, without having to kiss any more strangers.

“My sisters and I, we’re witches you see,” Cosima specified. “I live in the woods here, collecting the power of nature’s spirits and working on my potions. Occasionally, we travel around, healing the sick, helping where we can.”

Delphine nodded. She had heard of these women, rumoured to be witches, but at Court, such outrageous ideas were not tolerated. The traditional herbal women were mocked, and joked upon, yet Delphine knew they were capable of healing much more frightening illnesses than the official doctors were.

For the first time since the blonde woman had stopped singing, she seemed to relax in Cosima’s presence. Satisfied, Cosima grinned widely at her companion. “How did you end up here?” she asked, not expecting an answer, but wishing silently to know more of the stranger.

Delphine shrugged.

“Where are you going?”

Again, Delphine shrugged; she had no idea. When she had ran away, she had not had a clear goal in mind. The forest had seemed to invite her in, and thus Delphine had wandered further and further between the trees, until she had stumbled upon the clear lake. There, she had played her lute, and sang while her horse rested. Perhaps, she would stay in the woods forevermore; the thought seemed quite calming to the Princess.

Cosima stood up. She picked up her belongings, and stuffed them back in her bundle. “I’d love to stay you know, but I must reach home before darkness falls. The woods are a treacherous place, and even I can get lost in the dark of the night.”

Delphine nodded. She had hoped to learn more from the friendly witch, to learn her magical ways, and find another cure, but their ways parted here, much sooner than she liked. Sorrowful, Delphine stared at the mossy ground between their feet.

“Hey, do you want some of this leftover food?” Cosima was holding out some of her delicious bread, and a small piece of the cheese. “Or, maybe if you need a place to sleep with like an actual roof, you could come with… My Lady.”

Stunned, Delphine sat frozen on the boulder. She could not answer, instead she continued to stare at her feet.

“I see,” Cosima said. She laid down the food where she had been sitting only a minute ago. “Farewell then, My Lady,” she greeted, and disappeared again between the trees.

Delphine raised her head. She whimpered softly, and thought deeply for another long minute. Then, she jumped up and frantically started to collect her belongings. When she had gathered all, she climbed onto her black horse, and chased off in the direction the witch had left.

On her white horse, Cosima slowly rode along her path when she heard another fast pair of hooves behind her. She turned her head and smiled widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the paintings of John Bauer (Sweden, 1882-1918). The image below is a collage of one of his illustrations for _Tomtar Och Troll_ , and an illustration from Arthur Rackham (England, 1867-1939) for _English Fairy Tales_.
> 
>  


	4. It's Happening Again

Carefully, she opened the hot oven’s door and took the bread with a white cloth. Delphine was very proud of her newly learned skill. She couldn’t wait to show her masterpiece to her friend. She went out the cabin and knocked on the table in the grass to catch Cosima’s attention.

The witch stood up close to a clear stream, gathering leaves and herbs for her medicinal potions. She seemed to talk to herself, but in reality, a blue jay was perched on the upper branch of a maple tree listened to her. When she heard the strong knock, Cosima lifted her head: “Hey, My Lady! Are you well?”

With a wide smile on her face, Delphine nodded and showed her the warm bread.

Walking to the table, Cosima congratulated the Princess: “You did it? Wow, I am very impressed!... You deserve a big hug!” and she eagerly wrapped her arms around the taller woman. She was incredibly proud of her student, who had been struggling with the simplest of household tasks, but she had been making great progress in the last few weeks. 

Delphine leaned into the warm embrace, with a proud smile upon her face. She stroked Cosima’s back, sending her a silent thank you. 

Cosima stood behind Delphine, who had just set the bread down on the table. She took one of the Princess’ loose curls and tucked it behind her ear. She glanced over the freshly bare shoulder at the food on the table. “I knew you were capable of make the bread all alone, I just knew it! You’re a smart girl, there’s no reason why you’d not be able to do these things.” 

Agreeing with Cosima with a nod of her head, Delphine sat down at the table and gave a piece of bread to the witch to let her taste it. She handed Cosima a jar of honey, fresh from the beehive only a few hundred feet away.

The witch sat down across from the Princess. She spread a generous amount of honey on the crisp bread, and bit into it. Cosima couldn't stop herself from praising the blonde woman. With her mouth full, she mumbled, “Hmmmm, that’s really tasty.”

Delphine smiled brightly. The compliment from her enthusiastic teacher meant so much more to her than the never-ending praise from her teachers in the castle, who had been afraid to ever tell her she was anything but perfect. Cosima was a breath of fresh air; never afraid to speak her mind, and make Delphine smile with the most absurd jokes. With a wide smile, Delphine cut of another slice of bread, and coated it in sweet honey. Bending her head, she carefully ate behind the cover of her hair so that Cosima could not see the teeth on her tongue. 

The bread tasted as good as it had smelled; a perfect crisp crust, and the soft airy inside. The heavy honey dripped from the bread as Delphine finished the last of her slice, Cosima was already reaching for seconds.

“Hey, you got something on your chin,” Cosima said. She reached out to wipe away the honey from the Princess’ chin. “This bread is absolutely delicious, My Lady.”

Delphine could not help but smile, as she did almost always whenever Cosima said anything. Somehow, Cosima always interpreted every smile correctly; the witch didn’t need the Princess to speak in order to understand her.

While they ate more bread, Cosima spoke. She told Delphine about the herbs she had just collected, and explained their medical uses. With a wide grin, Cosima ate and spoke, she never ceased doing either activities. Her arms flew about, talking of the big and little things. In the middle of a recipe for a potion, based on the moon cycle, she suddenly became silent. “I have an idea,” she said, with a twinkle in her eyes. 

From the bundle of herbs and leaves, Cosima picked a single blue jay feather. “Would you like to learn some magic?”

Shocked, Delphine stared at the feather, and then at Cosima. That day, weeks ago when she had met Cosima, she had followed the witch in the hope of learning more about magic, and specifically curses. It had rapidly become clear to the Princess that she would not learn to undo her curse in the blink of an eye, and yet she had stayed for Cosima. Slowly, she nodded and sat up a bit straighter.

“Wonderful,” Cosima said. She took Delphine’s hands in her own, and held their joined hands over the feather. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Anxiously, Delphine followed her example.

A warmth spread from the spot where their hands touched, then a tingling sensation. Somehow, Delphine could feel the feather, as if she was touching it, as if she was beckoning it upwards. Gentle waves tugged at Delphine’s palms, and she opened her eyes. The feather was floating just below their hands. With awe, Delphine looked at Cosima.

The witch had a wide grin on her face. Her tongue poked from between her teeth and her eyes shone with mischief. “Your turn,” she said, and pulled her hands away. The feather floated back to the surface of the table, to land between the leftover bread and the empty jar of honey.

Delphine swallowed. She frowned at Cosima, asking a silent question.

“Just do as we just did.”

Holding her hands out, Delphine raised a single eyebrow.

“Close your eyes, and feel the feather. Like you did before.”

Hesitantly, Delphine did as she was told. She felt Cosima staring at her, even with her eyes closed. Her cheeks became hot, but the palms of her hands did not. Embarrassed, Delphine quickly gave up. She shook her head.

“Try again. Imagine it floating,” Cosima encouraged her.

Delphine tried, and she tried again. No matter how hard she tried, after an hour she could not move it for more than a thumb’s width. “That’s much better than I could after my first try,” Cosima said. Delphine didn’t believe her, but it was kind of the witch to say it nevertheless. Exhausted, Delphine shivered. The sun was starting to go down, and unnoticed to her, the magic had tired her.

“Are you cold?” Cosima asked, getting up from the table.

With a nod, Delphine followed the witch’s example. 

Instead of going inside, Cosima went a little further from the cabin. She bend over the small cleared spot, and within seconds a fire was roaring.

Having now first hand experienced the effort magic took, Delphine could almost feel her mouth drop. She quickly closed it, before Cosima would see her in the light of the fire.

Together, they sat down next to the warm fire. Cosima asked: “Are you still cold, my Lady? You appear to be shivering…” and she put her left arm around Delphine’s shoulders: “Let me keep you warm”. Seemingly out of nowhere, Cosima pulled up a blanket and wrapped it around their shoulders, encouraging Delphine to sit a little closer to her, with her left arm wrapped around Delphine’s shoulder.

For a while, they sat together with the sound of the fire to accompany them. The sun set, and the stars appeared above the trees. In deep thought, Cosima fiddled with the jewelry on her fingers.

Sitting besides her and leaning slightly into Cosima, Delphine was thinking deeply. She might have come with Cosima to find an alternative cure for her curse, but she had grown very attached to life with the witch. Delphine toyed with one of the witch's intriguing braids, from up close they were so tightly woven; they didn’t even look like braids anymore. Maybe she could enjoy a life like this, with Cosima in the woods; far from any pressure to be anything besides the cursed beast she hid inside her. Delphine smiled at Cosima.

Delphine stared at the passionate woman, who now was looking up at the stars, seemingly oblivious to Delphine's gaze. The Princess couldn’t stop thinking of the last weeks she spent with the witch. Undoubtedly, these had been the best days of her life and despite the fact she was afraid to open her mouth, she felt well. She felt Cosima’s warmth moving through her own body and, yes, she felt truly well. 

Delphine’s eyes moved from Cosima’s face to her forearms and her strange drawings. The fear Delphine felt the first time she saw Cosima was a distant memory now. Since the day on the shore of that lake, the blonde woman couldn’t explain why and how she felt so safe, free, confident, and understood in the presence of Cosima. 

Tonight, sitting on the grass, her back against a trunk, the sound of clear stream in the background and the warm fire in front of her, Delphine knew she was at the right place, with the right person: _“The right person?”_ she thought suddenly. _“But she is a woman, what is even worse: a witch! She cannot be the right person…”_

Since the Evil Queen had cursed her, her life had been a nightmare. Kissing boys and men, the short and the tall, the thick and thin, the fast and slow, the witty and the slow-minded, the blond and the dark haired, the left handed and the right handed. Delphine had kissed all the men in the Kingdom and beyond and every single part of her beautiful body moved from a side to another side after each kiss: _“It’s happening again…”_ she sadly thought to herself, _“I’m going to have to kiss every woman of the Kingdom to find my True Love…”_

Delphine slipped her right arm around the witch’s waist and rested her head on Cosima’s shoulder. The Princess couldn’t shut down her brain: _“All the women? Do I really have to kiss all the women in the Kingdom and beyond? Perhaps only one woman is enough...”_

Delphine lifted her head and stared intensely at Cosima. Slowly, she spread her lips, not even sure to know if her tongue was able to function. 

Cosima turned her head and smiled. From the barely lit figure next to her, she heard a soft sound made by two simple words: “Kiss me...”

With a lovely grin, Cosima replied: “Your wish is my command.” And she kissed Delphine. 

While she closed her eyes, a warmth wave enveloped all of Delphine’s body and everything around her seemed to swirl: the grass under her body, the sky above her head, the tree, the river, nothing was where it usually belonged. Yet she was not afraid, Cosima’s arms held her firmly grounded against the witch.

It was nothing like kissing all those other people. Delphine had forgotten all about them, and about the curse and her quest to find a cure. All she was aware of was Cosima, her hands, her body, her lips upon her own. She melted in Cosima’s touch, and when the witch’s tongue brushed upon her bottom lip, the Princess opened her mouth without a single thought about her own disfigurements, or a fear in the world about Cosima’s reaction when she would find out the monster the Princess really was.

Suddenly, the heavy amulet around her neck dissolved in the air and, when Delphine felt Cosima’s tongue on her own, there was not a single teeth on either of their tongues. For what seemed like centuries and only seconds at the same time, they sat intertwined.

As Cosima pulled back, Delphine’s immediate reaction was to pull her closer again. She wanted to hang onto the incredible glowing feeling of another kind of magic, not witchcraft but the melting together of their souls, which had rushed over them both like a tidal wave at first, and now lingered ever stronger between them. 

Delphine cupped the witch’s cheek, her fingertips buried in the braids. She leaned her own forehead against Cosima’s, breathing in her scent as she smiled brightly, her teeth blinking in the light of the fire.

The Princess couldn’t believe what just happened. She felt a huge relief in her soul, obviously it wasn’t necessary to check her body; her heart knew that every part was at the right place. She pulled back, and smiled at the other woman and kissed her again, her hands gently caressing Cosima’s hair and back. 

After a few minutes, the witch pulled her head back and stared at Delphine, and said with a soft smile: “I knew you weren’t mute, My Lady, I heard your voice the day we met at the lake…”

Delphine, blushing, answered in a whisper and with tears in her eyes: “Sorry Cosima… It’s, it’s a long and sad story… because of my stepmother…” she started to sob: “My Mother died… and my Father met that woman, and…”

Cosima, kissing Delphine’s cheeks and mouth, cut her off: “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay, you’ll tell me later, only if you want… You don’t have to do it now, right?” 

Delphine nodded: “Yes please…” She cupped the brunette’s face with her hands, and started to kiss her, again: ”All I want right now is you…”

With a smile, Cosima nodded enthusiastically. She could not help but grin as she kissed Delphine again, and again. They sat together in front of the fire, sharing the pleasure of having found this new intimacy in each other.

They both cried a little, and smiled a lot that night, in each other’s arms. 

And, because this a fairy tale, they lived happily ever after...


	5. Smoke and Mirrors

She smiled, trying to breathe slowly, and she buried her head in the mass of blonde curls, her sweaty body upon Delphine’s.

It was a sunny morning, all around them was calm. They could only hear the murmur of the river close to the wooden cabin.

“My Lady… I truly love to wake up in this way! I could do it every morning…” whispered Cosima in the Princess’s ear, “All night too if you wish.”

With a soft kiss on Delphine’s cheek, the Witch moved to the side of the bed, her arm on Delphine waist, whereas Delphine turned her back to her.

With a frown, Cosima lifted her head, asked: “Did I say something wrong?”

“No… I am fine…” replied Delphine with a sad tone of voice.

Since the Princess had recovered her voice, and all her perfect body, the two women had lived a peaceful life in the woods, sharing not only a house but also a true love. Cosima had teached to Delphine more and more magical tricks and the young woman appreciated her new skills day after day.

But that morning, Cosima didn’t need magic to understand the sadness of her lover: “Delphine... Don’t lie to me please... What happened?”

The Princess turned around and, with tears in her eyes, looked at the Witch: “My home... I miss my home.” She cupped Cosima’s face and added: “I love you Cosima, from the bottom of my heart, but I have to go back to my home, I can’t stay here any longer. I belong to my Kingdom, to my people. As I told you after our first kiss, the one that broke that curse, I am the heiress of this Kingdom and I have to protect it.” She wiped away her teardrops to say: “I know everything you have done for me and I cannot thank you enough to saving me from that terrible curse. But... I have to go, my Love, I have to fight my stepmother and save my legacy... Do you understand me?”

Troubled by those words, Cosima stayed silent a few seconds but retorted resolutely: “I understand you, My Lady, more than you can imagine. I know who you are, I have known it since the day we met.” She kissed Delphine’s lips softly and continued: ”But you don’t have to fight for your home all alone... I’m here now and I can help you! I can’t let you do it alone...” With her adorable grin, she added: “Don’t think I will let you get rid of me like that easily!”

Delphine couldn’t refrain from hugging Cosima lovingly: “Are you sure sweetheart? I don’t want you feel obliged to follow me, it’s my struggle, my duty, my... “ 

Cosima interrupted her with another kiss to say: “I will go with you. Behold, I am with you and wherever you go, I go.”

Quickly, Delphine got out of the bed and spoke with enthusiasm: “Let’s go then, let’s go now, I can’t wait another second!” Delphine started gathering supplies for the trip without wasting another moment. “I’m no longer afraid of that monster,” she told Cosima. “I’m truly not afraid of curses anymore, or black magic, or devilish tattoos. Together, we will fight the usurper!”

Cosima, who had gotten up from bed too, was absolutely amused by the new Delphine’s behavior. But when she heard her speaking about devilish tattoos, Cosima stopped to move and asked: “Tattoos? What are you talking about Delphine?” 

“My stepmother, she has some drawings on her forearms, almost like yours actually, but they are absolutely ugly, and terrifying, and... “ Delphine shook her head: “I don’t want to talk about them, they give me goose bumps!”

Cosima didn’t insist, however she couldn’t help but think about those mysterious patterns while she packed some necessities for the journey. 

\---

It had taken them nearly two days to reach the edge of the forest again. Delphine remembered the last time she had ridden across the edge between trees and fields very well. She had fled from her problems then, feeling weak and miserable. This time, she was sitting tall on her black horse, as she faced her fears with her head held high, her lover on her side.

All the way from Cosima’s home in the deep woods, the two women had chatted and sung songs. Delphine had told Cosima much more about her old life in the castle. She had spoken of the splendid halls and lush gardens. The Princess had told the Witch about the rich golden fields surrounding the lands, and the happy people living around them.

What she saw when emerging from between the thick trees made Delphine stop her horse mid stride. With open mouth she stared at the land on the hills below.

“What’s wrong?” Cosima asked. She steered her horse besides Delphine’s, and softly gasped. “Oh, no.”

There was a dark smoke across the lands, seemingly coming from a few faraway farms smoldering. The once so bountiful fields between the forest and the castle, which the two women could just make out in the distance, were trampled and the crops were lying rotting in the dirt. The trees, which used to line the roads, were chopped down. To make matters worse, a steady drizzle made the dead land even grayer than Delphine had thought possible.

“How is this possible?” asked the Princess.

Cosima shook her head; she had no answer for Delphine.

“I should have never left,” Delphine said. She shook her head, and glanced at Cosima. “I’m going to fix this, are you with me?”

Cosima nodded. “Always, My Lady.”

Together, they sped along the roads, neither wanted to waste any more time to find out what was happening in the castle. Neither of them looked left or right as they raced past the abandoned homes, and the fields going to waste. The polluted smell of decay hardly reached Delphine’s mind; her only goal was to find her stepmother and show her the meaning of revenge, not just for herself, but also for her entire Kingdom.

At top speed, Delphine raced across the wooden drawbridge. A pair of highly armed guards tried to stop her, but jumped out of the way for the large horse. Briefly, Delphine glanced over her shoulder at the guards, never before had there been anyone but a lazy ceremonial guard, with only a trumpet, never arms, at the gate of the castle. Above her head, she can hear the sound of some ravens she never seen before.

The black horse stopped in the centre of the courtyard. Delphine had already jumped off his back before Cosima came to a halt beside her.

The Witch looked around the buildings for a moment, before cautiously sliding off her horse. She landed in the mud besides Delphine. They looked at each other, a frown of worry upon their faces.

“Let’s visit the King, shall we?” Delphine suggested before either of them would change their minds and run from this eerie place. “Here, take good care of him,” Delphine said, as she handed her horse’s reins to the stable boy. Like the rest of the people working around the courtyard, he stared ahead with empty eyes. It was as if the once so cheerful people of the royal castle had turned into hollow shells of their past, still performing their duties, but no longer recognizable.

Cosima followed her example and together they entered the castle.

Delphine knew her way around, and walked resolutely towards her goal. Her chest tightened as she walked along the cold and bare corridors. This was not the castle she had told Cosima about, there were no tapestries adorning the walls. The colorful stained glass windows were covered with shutters, and the only light came from the occasional torch, emitting foul greenish smoke.

With trepidation, Delphine clutched Cosima’s hand. She did not know what had gotten into her dear father, the kind King, must have lost his mind to allow his beloved castle, and the lush lands beyond it decay this rapidly.

It seemed to Delphine as if the castle had magically become larger in her absence. The walk to the great hall took much longer than she remembered it. And when they finally reached it, again there were guards blocking their way.

“Move,” she said, with all the authority of a royal Princess.

The guards barely looked at the two women, and shook their heads. “The Queen and King do not grant audiences to the likes of you,” one of them said.

“Oh yes they will,” Delphine said. She pulled Cosima along, and tried to push past.

Both guards tried to step in her way, but the Cosima mumbled something and they stumbled and bumped into one another.

“Thank you,” Delphine whispered at Cosima, as they slipped passed the disoriented men. She pushed the heavy door open, and saw the great hall.

This too had become a dark place, even more so for it was grand and empty. At the end of the hall, Delphine and Cosima saw a bit of light. A few shadowy figures were standing in the dim light.

Having come this far, Delphine and Cosima made their way across the hollow hall. Their footsteps echoed against the bare stone, frightening Delphine to the bone. Her father did not move on his throne, he nearly seemed asleep. But as they stood right before the throne, she saw his eyes were open. He stared at her, not saying a word. He seemed to have aged a decade in the weeks she had been gone. His back had stooped, his hair turned grey, and his hands were trembling.

“Father, how glad I am to see you,” Delphine said, after having made the appropriate curtsy.

Her father did not speak. Lying upon his chest was the same amulet Delphine had worn for such a long time, yet his seemed to have grown. It was almost as if his bent back was due to the weight of the amulet.

Delphine stared at her father, waiting for an answer. Desperately, she looked at Cosima, searching for help. The Princess was still clutching the Witch’s hand in her own. She was glad, that in this dark hall, Cosima was with her.

“My dear Father, do you not recognize me?” Delphine asked, scared to hear the answer.

Slowly, the King shook his head. “I do not know you, little girl,’ he mumbled. And then more forcefully, he suddenly yelled, “Get out of my home!”

Startled, Delphine stumbled back. She felt the tears rise behind her eyes. “But Father, it is me, Delphine. Your daughter!”

“Be gone,” the King growled.

From the shadows behind the throne, a figure emerged. “You heard the King, little girl, he commands you to leave,” the Queen said. She grinned at the two women standing before the throne. Slowly, she sat down on the throne, which used to belong to Delphine’s Mother.

“Delphine,” Cosima said. She squeezed the Princess’s hand, and tugged her in the direction of the exit. The look upon her face was one of pure fear; Delphine had not imagined the brave Witch could look this terrified.

Yet, Delphine did not intend to give up yet. They had come all this way, and her father was clearly under some spell. “No,” Delphine said resolutely.

“Yes,” the Queen answered, and laughed.

“You did this. To me. To him,” Delphine said. She pointed at her father, who still stared at her with a glassy expression, unable to recognize her. “You brought nothing but death and decay upon this Kingdom!”

The Queen’s grin widened. “But don’t you see, little girl, this miserable Kingdom deserves nothing but death and decay.”

“It does not!” Delphine said. She had known that something was wrong, but what she had found was much worse than what she had seen in her nightmares. She would cure the land of it’s curse, like she had cured her own. One way or another, she would save the Kingdom, and her father. “It was a beautiful land. And so it shall be again, I promise you that!”

Delphine turned around, and stormed out of the great hall.

“Oh you! I knew it was you all along. You will pay for this,” Cosima told the Queen. She then quickly ran after Delphine. Nobody stopped them from leaving, but as they once again rode their horses across the drawbridge, the iron gate was shut behind them.

\---

Cosima finally caught up with Delphine on top of a high hill, looking out over the once green lands. She jumped of her horse. For a moment, she needed to catch her breath from the wild ride from the castle.

Delphine was standing on the edge of the slope, her horse grazing calmly behind her. The wind had twisted her hair in a savage mess, and her eyes were wild. Cosima had never before seen the Princess angry.

“Delphine, are you alright?” Cosima asked, approaching carefully.

“No!” Delphine yelled. “No, of course not,” she said again, this time softer. She turned around to face Cosima. “Don’t you see what she did to the Kingdom, to my Father. She’s a monster, Cosima, you have no idea, she’s a monster. We have to stop her.”

“I know, Delphine, and I agree,” Cosima noded. “But she’s strong; you and I can’t stop her.”

Delphine sank down in the dead grass. “So what, must we simply stand by and watch her destroy everything that was once good and beautiful in this land?”

Cosima kneeled next to the Princess. “Of course we won’t.”

“Then what can we do?” Delphine asked, with tears in her eyes. “If you say she’s too strong for the two of us, then how are we going to stop her?”

“She’s not too strong for the four of us... and for the boys.” 

“The four of us?... The boys?” Delphine frowned. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a deep breath. “What are you talking about?”

“Just wait, we need the power of the Smoke and the Mirrors” Cosima said, cryptically. She stood up, and walked slowly to the edge of the hill. She turned her body to the desolated landscape in front of her, and bend her head. She lifted her arms and a warm light rose from her tattoos and she whispered:

 

_I’m calling for the Smoke and Mirrors,_  
_To save a cherished Kingdom from terrors._  
_Dear Sisters, we need your aid;_  
_The Evil Queen must be slayed._

 

Delphine could barely hear what Cosima was saying, so soft her voice was. She waited, in silence. 

Cosima’s face was concentrated; her eyes were closed, and the light on her arms shone brightly, slowly moving up and down her arms, emitting a warm glow.

Delphine didn’t dare to interrupt what seemed to be like a meditation. 

After a few minutes, the Witch opened her eyes, the bright light on her arms grew dim, and faded completely into the dark tattoos which usually adorned the Witch's forearms. She stared around the horizon. Softly, she smiled and turned around to see Delphine. She pointed with her finger at something in the sky: “Look My Lady, they’re coming…” 

Delphine looked into the direction shown by her lover. First, she saw nothing, but then three small points appeared, far away. The three small points grew very fast to become three birds.

Cosima took Delphine’s hand to pull her a few steps back: “Come on Sweetie, they will need more space to land.”

Not matter how she tried, Delphine couldn’t imagine the size of the birds. When they came closer, the three birds turned out to be three magnificent dragons. They arrived at the top of the hill, and landed one by one with a loud thud. The horses whimpered, and hid in the forest. Delphine stumbled back; the enormous creatures growled, as they looked around the small hilltop; none of them seemed to notice the two tiny women standing right between them. Delphine clung onto Cosima’s hand, staring in wonder at the dragons. One of the beasts roared, the sound deafened Delphine for a moment. The smoke curling from their noses was heavy, rolling from the hills like the mist on an early autumn morning. 

Looking at the sensational beasts, Cosima grinned enthusiastically. She ran her hand along the leg of one of the animals, she was barely able to reach its knee. Each of the scales was larger than her hand, and shimmered with another colour every time it moved. The dragon looked down to the Witch and she rose her face to say: “Hey you, long time, no see... I’m glad to be with you again.” It seemed to Delphine that the dragon smiled to Cosima. The small Witch reached out and gently patted the dragon’s nose. The creature grinned, baring its enormous teeth.

Suddenly, a person jumped off the back of one of the dragons. Sitting between the spikes on its back, she had been almost invisible. She was rapidly joined by a second woman. The first one had messy long blond hair and a pale strange face; and a second one, with curly dark hair. With a wide smile, she approached Cosima with long strides and said: “What’s up, Cos?”


	6. Citizens of Glass

With a wide smile, she approached Cosima with long strides and said: “What’s up, Cos?” 

“There you are Sarah!” said Cosima, embracing her sister tightly, turned around her body to the blond woman, she added: “Come here, Helena, I need a hug, Sister!”

“Sister Cosima, I’m happy to see you,” said the woman with her obvious foreign accent, while she took the Witch into her arms.

After those warm embraces, Cosima walked to Delphine who held back, close to the trees and the horses: “My Lady, let me introduce you my dear closest friends! This is Sarah and this Helena, two strong and fierce witches from my lovely Sisterhood.”

The two waved their hands, whereas Cosima added proudly: “My dear Sisters, this is Delphine, the Princess of the Kingdom. She is... she is the Heiress of the Kingdom, but for me, she is more than just our Princess”. With a shy smile, the woman continued: “She is the true love of my life…” 

She squeezed Delphine’s hand and the tall woman looked at her with passion in her eyes. During a few seconds, the two women stared at each other like if they were alone, but the Princess started to speak: “Sarah, Helena, I am very pleased to meet you, Cosima told me only great things about her Sisters. But she did not say a word about the… boys!” 

“The boys? It’s not boys, it’s dragons. Boys are human beings, dragons aren’t human beings Princess Delphine with great hair,” said Helena sharply, adding: “I like your hair, Princess Delphine.”

“Oh, hmm, thank you Helena... Please, call me Delphine, just Delphine if you do not mind,” replied the Princess, blushing. 

The two others witches were amused, while Delphine tried to put on a brave face, waiting for help from Cosima. But it was Sarah who first came to her assistance: “Well Cos, we’re very happy for you, for the both of you obviously, but I guess you didn’t ask you to come just to introduce your girlfriend to us, right!?” 

“No, of course not…” she answered. “I asked for Smoke and Mirrors because she... she’s back!” whispered Cosima. 

“What?? She’s back? Are you sure?” shouted Sarah. 

“Unfortunately, yes, I’m sure, I saw her at the castle... she’s strong, my Sisters, she’s stronger than ever. She seems to control everybody around her, the King’s included!”

“Holy shit! We knew that this day would come, but the later, the better!”, said Sarah with a worried gaze. 

Helena intervened on the discussion: “She threatened the babies... We have to kill her.”

“I am sorry to interrupt your discussion, but I do not understand a single word. If you could shed a little bit of light on what you’re saying... “ said Delphine, with a questioning look. “What are Smoke and Mirrors? Who is she?”

Putting her hand on Delphine’s shoulder, Cosima replied: “You’re right, My Lady, I have to apologize.” 

“We don’t have time for apologies!” stopped Sarah. She turned her face to Delphine to say: “It’s quite simple: Smoke are the dragons, Mirrors are the sisters. You noticed we look like the same, right?” 

Delphine nodded: “Indeed... Not exactly the same, but strangely similar, I do not know how to explain it…”

“There is no explanation actually. All the witches of the Sisterhood seem to be the same woman, but we’re not the same, we’re one of a few.”

Softly, Cosima added: “She... your stepmother, she was one of us. A long time ago, she decided to use her power for her own diabolic aims. She overtook the rule of a Kingdom far-far away, and demolished it from within.”

“The evil witch threatened to kill anyones babies if they didn’t help her,” Helena said sadly. “We didn’t know.”

Delphine nodded to Helena, still shocked by the resemblances and the differences of the three women in front of her. Cosima seemed the same person as the two others, but so unique too.

“When we found out it was too late; the entire land was destroyed. We tried to fight her, but weren’t prepared that day. She got away from us, and we spend years rebuilding the land,” Sarah added to the story.

“We didn’t hear more about her, until today. We had hoped she had disappeared for good, but it seems now as if she is looking to do the same to your kingdom,” Cosima told Delphine.

A hand on her mouth, she couldn't say a word. The dragons, her ghostly father, the sisters, the decay of her kingdom, Delphine couldn’t help but thinking about the last events of the day. All of it seemed too much, she needed a moment to understand.

Cosima continued her speech, for all the women: “She was a very good witch, and I guess she’s still a great witch, from what I have seen at the castle. That’s why I called you, my Sisters. We have to fix this problem together, with the boys.”

Helena and Sarah nodded with enthusiasm, and the three dragons, turning their long necks to the women, growled, like an approval to Cosima’s words. 

Hearing the huge sound, Delphine emerged from her lethargy: “What are we waiting for ? This woman is the devil, we have to stop her now! Cosima, Sarah, Helena, it’s time to go!” With long strides, she approached the closest dragon. Despite her tall length, she seemed a tiny girl in front the amazing beast. She turned her head to Cosima and yelled: “Sweetie, this is your dragon if I am not mistaken?”

The witch replied promptly: “Yes, but wait a minute! We don’t even have a battle plan and I need to teach you how to ride a dragon!” But Cosima stopped running towards Delphine and the creature. 

Delphine was sitting between the spikes of the animal, extending her hand to her lover: “The battle plan is kill the evil witch, with Smoke and Mirrors, don’t you think?” said Delphine with a lovely grin.

Starting to run to ride their own dragons, Sarah and Helena glanced at each other, smiling: “I like this girl” laughed Sarah.

“Yes, Sister Sarah, Princess Delphine is funny,” replied Helena. 

The three dragons spread out their magnificent wings and took off without an effort. They soared into the sky. Rising above and beyond the smoke from coming from the burned farms on the land. A cold wind roared around them, but the dragon’s emitted a warm glow and none of the women felt the chill of the high altitude. Delphine was pressed against Cosima’s strong body behind her. The Witch’s arms were draped loosely around the Princess, her hands on Delphine’s. Despite the vast emptiness below them, Delphine did not feel scared. The dragon was strong, and his flight as gentle as a boat on a calm sea.

The two other sisters were flying on their own dragon, one on each side of Cosima. They were clearly more accustomed to the gigantic beasts, and seemed very relaxed. Delphine dared to glance down, and saw the vast brown and black fields, all burned and ruined. In the distance she saw the castle already, and beyond that the woods. As she stared at the Kingdom from a new perspective, Delphine suddenly noticed something worrisome.

“Cosima!” she yelled, and tugged on the Witch’s arm.

The roar of the wind around them as they flew fast blew Delphine’s voice away before it reached Cosima, but the tug on her arm caught her attention. The Witch looked into the direction Delphine pointed at, and saw the army approaching.

On the fields before the castle, an army was marching in their direction. It was heavily armed, completely covered in armor, and much larger than Delphine could imagine. Her father had never had a lot of knights; he never had a need for many soldiers. Yet, the amount of armed men in front of the castle must be almost more than people living in the Kingdom.

At first they thought that they might simply fly over the army, but more and more knights were streaming out of the castle gates. Confused, Cosima and Delphine wondered where all these people had been hiding while they were at the castle a few hours ago.

To either side, Sarah and Helena had noticed the army too, and they had steered their own dragons to descend and have a closer look. Behind Delphine, Cosima did the same. As they came closer and were able to make out the individual knights, they saw their coat of arms was very similar to the cursed amulet Delphine had worn. Delphine glanced over her shoulder at Cosima, who clearly had seen the same thing as well.

As one man, the army suddenly stood still. Almost out of nowhere, they lifted their bows and shot their arrows into the sky. Cosima wrapped her arms around Delphine, pulling her as close as possible. Luckily, the dragons protected all four women from below. The arrows bounced off their strong scales and fell back to the ground without doing any damage.

“We need to stop them!” Sarah yelled from their left, somehow her voice sounded all around them, enhanced with her magic. “We can’t land like this.”

Cosima and Delphine nodded.

Helena was already taking action. She flew as close to the army as possible with the arrows attacking her from all sides now. Her dragon took a deep breath, and then breathed out with a gust of fire so hot Delphine and Cosima could feel it from several hundred yards away. The knights’ metal armor exploded like a glass thrown to the ground. The shards and splinters fell empty to the floor.

“They’re empty,” Delphine said, surprised.

“Not empty,” Cosima told her. “They’re filled with a diabolic magic.”

In the distance, Sarah and Helena were burning the knights. Each of them fell to the floor as a hollow shell. They had been fuelled by nothing but magic, and did not run away from the dragons’ fire.

“The Queen did this?” Delphine asked Cosima.

Cosima spurred her dragon on to join the fight. “Yes...I think it’s the Citizen of Glass curse...” she answered over the roaring fire.

It did not take the three dragons very long to reduce the entire army to a heap of scrap metal. A carpet of glasslike splinters and shards covered the ground, there were no longer arrows flying in the air. In their fight, they had come closer to the castle. Yet, still there were new knights pouring out of the castle gates.

“We’ll take care of these silly glass soldiers,” Helena told Cosima, enlarging her voice magically. “You take the Princess to take care of the Queen.”

Cosima nodded in answer, and without needing to be told her dragon swooped up and crossed the last of the distance to the castle. Before his landing on the highest tower, the keep where Delphine had stood many times before, all the Kingdom heard his roar. The beast was too large to properly land between the battlements. Instead, he wrapped his tail around the tower; the tip touched the floor, and his powerful wings flapping all around. 

Delphine and Cosima slid down his back, and stood between his magnificent paws on the stone floor. The dragon roared again, and then breathed a sea of fire into the courtyard towards the many glass knights down below. The sound it produced from so close was similar to that of a thunderstorm. With a mighty flap of his wings, the dragon took off again into the skies, leaving Cosima and Delphine in a sudden peaceful haven of silence. They stood upon the tower, elevated beyond the reach of the racket and chaos of the battlefield. Was this the sound of the calm before the storm? 

“Let’s go Cosima, we can’t waste our time!” Delphine took Cosima’s hand and dragged her towards a first staircase. They rushed through a stone walkway with arches to another staircase. The urgency of the situation didn’t leave them the time to walk slowly, or to talk. They ran the winded stairs down in the complete darkness, luckily the Princess knew every nook and corner of the castle with her eyes close, and so she was able to guide the Witch in the pitch-black tower. Once they reached the hallways, an occasional torch lit their way to their goal.

Together, they ran through the empty hallways, still hand in hand. There were no guards inside; neither knights fuelled by magic, nor real live humans. As they came closer to the great hall they slowed down to a normal walking pace. Cosima turned her head to Delphine, to see fear melting to determination on Delphine's face. The Witch stopped walking and asked softly: “Delphine, hey, please... Do you want a moment to... breathe?”

“No, thank you, I am fine... I want to find my Father and... her!” replied the Princess. 

“Obvs My Lady, totally makes sense. But I need you keep breathing, okay? Just keep breathing…” said Cosima with a grin, and kissed Delphine’s lips. 

“Keep breathing? I can do that Sweetie,” nodded the blond woman, her forehead against Cosima’s. 

They started walking again, side by side. The guards next to the great hall had abandoned their post as well, allowing the Princess to throw the large oak door open without any trouble.

Where the Throne used to be, which was supposed to host the monarch of the Kingdom, in this case the King and not his wife, the Queen had placed a new high chair. It was significantly bigger, adorned with an obscene amount of gold and jewels, and left no place besides it for the spouse of the ruler. She was reclining on the throne, but jumped up when she saw the two women enter.

“How did you get here?” she yelled across the great hall.

“You might have plenty of your soldiers outside, but seemed to have forgotten to guard the door,” Delphine said, not raising her voice and walking calmly across the large empty space.

Cosima walked beside her, their hands still clutched tightly together. The Witch didn’t speak, she was observing the room. Only four people were there, the rogue witch was incredibly confident in her own magical abilities to have no guards to protect herself. Cosima feared that she might indeed have grown too strong, but she needed taking care of. The roar from outside told Cosima that her own Sisters were still busy fighting the glass army; Delphine and Cosima would have to deal with the queen themselves.

The queen laughed, “Ha, I don’t need any guards!” She slowly rose from her seat, and stood on the edge of the dais. “I have something much more powerful.” She beckoned the only other figure, who had been hiding in the shadows behind the throne since long before Delphine and Cosima entered the hall.

“Father!” Delphine yelled, and took a few quick steps forward.

Cosima clutched her hand tightly and held Delphine back a little. “Careful,” she warned the Princess.

“Yes, careful,” the queen repeated. “I might harm you, or your dear father...”

“You wouldn't!”

“Oh yes, I most definitely would,” the Queen told the two women halfway the room. “You see, when your beloved father dies I, his darling wife, shall become the official ruler of this Kingdom. Of course I already am, but I’d like the title to go with the power, you see?”

By now, the King was standing beside her. He looked old and frail, his hands trembling and his eyes were empty. Delphine called out for him, but he did not show any signs of recognizing his daughter and barely looked at her.

“Don’t come any closer, or he’ll be gone,” the Queen warned them.

Delphine and Cosima stood still only a few yards from the queen and king in front of the fake throne. The sounds of battle still sounded from behind the thin wooden boards across the windows.

Delphine was unable to tear away her eyes from her father. “Papa, do you not see me? Do you not recognize me? What has this foul creature done to you? Please, say something!” she begged with him, but it was of no use. There seemed to be only an empty shell left of the King, his soul and mind were nowhere to be found within his body.

“What do you want?” Cosima asked the Queen. She could feel Delphine tugging on her hand, trying to get closer to her father. Cosima knew that the queen’s threats were not idle, she would harm the king if either of them might come too close so she held Delphine tightly.

“Not much,” the queen answered. “Just the complete rule of this Kingdom, and you and your pesky sisters far away from it.”

Cosima scoffed and Delphine shook her head.

“Yes, I will have this. And I shall start by obtaining legal right to rule.” Before either Cosima or Delphine had registered what those words meant, the queen turned towards her husband and kissed him. The amulet around his neck dissolved, and he fell to the floor.

Delphine pulled free of Cosima’s hand and lunged forward. She knelt next to her father, and touched his cheek. It was as cold as the marble floors of the great hall.

He was still breathing shallow and uneven breaths. His eyes had regained their colour, and he looked up at Delphine. “Oh Delphine, my beloved daughter, you are here... What happened?” The King tried to stand up, but a big pain nailed him to the floor: “Ouch, I cannot move!”

“Shhh, shhh, Father, it is only a few bruises, you will feel well again very soon,” replied the Princess, trying to ease her father; her hand on his forehead. 

Cosima looked at her lover cradling her dying father. She slowly moved herself to stand in front of the wounded man and his daughter, protecting them from whatever the evil Queen was planning next.

“No Delphine, no... It is too late for now... You have to save our Kingdom, it is yours now.” He smiled at her, and let out his final breath.

Cosima stared at Delphine, hunched over her father’s body, clutching him tight and weeping silently. She knew that it would take Delphine a moment to realize who she needed to take revenge on, but the Princess could barely float a feather; she was no match to the evil Queen; the King’s murderer.

With a gesture of her hand, Cosima softly pushed Delphine and her father into a corner where they would be safe. She never loosened her grip on her father’s corpse. When they came to a stop in a dark corner, Delphine lifted her head to look at Cosima through her tears in surprise.

Cosima whispered into Delphine’s mind: “Stay there, my Love. Magical battles are not to be interfered with by non-witches.” 

Delphine nodded. She felt a small touch, almost as if the Witch was caressing her cheek.

Trusting Delphine to know not to get caught in the crossfire, Cosima took a few steps in the opposite direction to lure the Queen away from the Princess.

Lifting a single finger, the evil witch blasted the first curse at Cosima, who easily blocked it.

Rapidly, they started to send each other bolts of lightning, roaring flames hotter than hell, and dark purple whisps of toxic smoke. The exchange of curses left and right moved through the room faster than the human eye could follow, as they dreamed up more powerful and dangerous spells one after the other.

For a long time the two witches seemed of very equal powers. Occasionally the evil Queen had the upper hand, and sometimes Cosima was able to overpower her for a moment. Yet, neither of them managed to actually eliminate the other.

That was, until Cosima was caught in a corner of the room. All around her raged fire, she was being tossed around like a ragdoll. For a while now, it seemed as if Cosima had been growing tired. The Queen however did not slow down. She was firing curse after curse at Cosima, and laughed and taunted the Witch relentlessly. Now, several sharp knives of glass were flying towards the Witch, who was tied up in a thick bundle of magical ropes, and she no longer capable of holding them back.

Delphine had done as Cosima had asked. The fight between the two powerful witches was too fast and complicated for her to follow. With her cheeks covered in tears, she sat where Cosima had set her, in between the flames and the lightning. However, when Cosima’s eyes locked desperately with her own, Delphine finally let go of her father’s cold and stiff hand, and stood up.

“Cosima!” she screamed.

The Witch closed her eyes. The first knives touched her skin, drawing blood across her neck and torso. She was shaking, and clearly losing the fight.

Delphine ran across the great hall, between the flames and smoke. “Cosima! No!” She had no weapons, she had no magical abilities of significance, but she did know the castle, she was strong and healthy, and most important; she was fierce to save her love.

With a loud scream, Delphine threw herself against the queen. The evil witch had been so preoccupied with her inevitable victory over Cosima, she had forgotten about Delphine and turned her back to the Princess. The Queen stumbled, and Cosima fell to the floor in a heap with the knives and ropes.

Delphine knew she only had seconds before the evil witch would use her magical advantage over her. She pushed the devilish woman against one of the boarded up windows, and ripped her necklace from her. The Princess had spend hours tugging and tearing on her own cursed amulet, until her neck was torn and bleeding but it would not come off. The queen’s own amulet was not as strongly protected, and snapped right off.

The old witch stared at the amulet in Delphine’s hands. She tried to take it, but Delphine was faster.

She gave the woman a push, right through the thin wood shutters covering the glass window. Those boards were only ever meant as ornaments, and had never been strong. Yelling, the woman tumbled down the high wall, and fell in the mud in the courtyard. Her mangled body did not move or even twitch.

“Oh no, it’s raining old hags,” Helena cheered, and pointed Sarah at the body of the dead witch lying under the window.

Both of the sisters had been trying to fight their way into the castle, as the dragons dealt with the majority of the army outside. As soon as the witch hit the ground, the glass army imploded into a million glass splinters. The few humans who had been fighting alongside them were awoken from their own dazed state. They dropped their arms, and surrendered as soon as they realized what had been happening.

Sarah waved up at Delphine in the window.

Delphine smiled back at her. She turned around to face the room again. The fires had died out, and left some of the walls a bit charred, but no permanent damage. Cosima was still lying in the corner; the ropes were gone, but she was still bleeding from the many wounds.

“Cosima!” Delphine ran to her. “Are you well?” she cradled Cosima’s head in her lap, much like she had done earlier with her father. This time, the person she was holding was not dying; she was just tired, and a little bruised.

“I’m well, My Lady” Cosima said, and leaned up to kiss Delphine.

\---

Two weeks later, everything was ready for the coronation. All the noble Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom were gathered. All the loyal subjects of the Princess came from North and South, East and West, to celebrate the beginning of a new era. The castle was adorned with a thousand red and white roses, and the still slightly battle damaged walls of the castle were enclosed by wooden palisades, painted in rainbow colors. 

In the surrounding fields, the three dragons stood quietly. The children, impressed by the animals, didn’t dare to come closer, however some terrified mothers just kept their toddlers tightly close to them. All over the fields were tents and tables filled with splendid food and refreshing drinks. There was music and dancing across the fields. Between the colorfully clothed people, a laughter and chatter rose into air, just reaching the future Queen’s rooms.

In a her bedroom Delphine was panicking. Not by the dragons obviously, but by the task she must to face soon. A few months ago, she had only been a young princess, playing lute in the courtyard, and her daddy told her about a new queen. It seemed to Delphine that this day had been centuries ago.

At this moment, she was overwhelmed by her sadness and happiness, the lack of sleep, an overflow of emotions, and her duty as the sole Heir of the Kingdom. But standing in the middle of the room, a few maids around her to dress up her, Delphine appeared with a calm face, ready to play her full part. 

On her blue velvet seat in a corner of the apartment, Cosima smiled at the Princess. The Witch had been seriously wounded in the battle with the diabolic Queen. Luckily, she and her sisters were adept healers, and even though she was still slightly bruised under her clothes, she was able to attend the festivities all day. As she watched Princess Delphine get ready to become Queen, Cosima recalled the day in the woods when she heard Delphine’s voice, when she saw her for the very first time. She was doubtlessly not able to imagine one second that this walk in the forest would bring her in this castle, into this bedroom, with this woman... her lover and, very soon, the Queen. 

Delphine’s main maid brought an oval standing mirror: “Your Grace is absolutely magnificent!” The other maids nodded with enthusiasm. 

Blushing, Delphine replied: “Thank you! The credit for this is yours, you made miracles these last days, you and everybody else in the Castle.”

Interrupting the conversation, the Captain of the Guards came in the room. After his military salute, he said: “Your Grace, if you are ready, I would be pleased to escort you to the window to salute the crowd.”

After a short hesitation, Delphine looked at Cosima and she said: “Well... Here we are! It the beginning of the big day!” and turned her head to the soldier: “Yes my Captain, I am ready. Shall we go, please?” He accompanied her to the window, but let her step out onto the balcony to greet her people without him.

When Delphine appeared at the balcony, with Cosima beside her, the clamors of the people melted with the trumpets and drums as the music rose from the entire castle. 

The Princess waved greetings to the cheering crowd for a few minutes.

When she went back in the room, she held Cosima’s hand tightly and put her forehead to Cosima’s and whispered: “I could not do this without you.” 

Unfortunately, the Captain closed the window, and through it, we only could see Delphine whispering to Cosima again. It was impossible to hear the soft words of the Princess, nothing but watching Cosima smiling widely, and then she nodded intensely.

\---

Delphine stood on the dais, in front of her father’s restored throne. The hall was splendidly decorated with fresh flowers and colourful flags. The entire floor was packed with people, Cosima and her sisters standing in the front row. Cosima had not the right to stand next to Delphine in front of the peoples, but it was not important. Today was Delphine’s day, the day of her queen. The Princess smiled at the Witch, who blew a kiss in return.

Feeling her cheeks burn, Delphine tore her gaze from the first row, and looked solemnly ahead of the crowd. The trumpets cheered, and the high priest entered. He carried the crown with him, on a red velvet pillow. Delphine had always assumed that her father would crown her someday, when he was ready to retire. But her father had been buried a week ago on the edge of the woods, alongside the Queen his wife, Delphine’s mother, looking out over his Kingdom. Now, the highest left in command was the old priest; the Evil Queen had killed nearly everyone else.

The high priest stood in front of Delphine, and faced the nobles of the Kingdom. His speech was long and boring, praising heroes both fallen and living. Then, finally came the part where Delphine was to say her oath, and be crowned.

Delphine spoke loud and clear, knowing the oath by heart since she had been a little girl: “I solemnly swear to govern this Kingdom according to the constitutional laws and tradition. To use my power to restore and maintain righteous law and justice, according to my judgement and abilities. To love and to cherish this Land and its people. To preserve the natural resources,” she said, glancing briefly at Cosima, who was smiling brightly back at her. “...and to protect my homeland from all the enemies from the inside and the outside... All this I promise to do.”

“Then I crown thee Queen,” the priest said. He reached up to put the crown on Delphine’s curls, pushing them down slightly with the weight.

“Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!” the crowd cheered when Queen Delphine turned towards them.

Solemnly, she lifted her hand and silenced the crowd. The emotions of earlier this morning, the trepidation of the heavy responsibility that ruling an entire Kingdom all-alone had left Delphine. She was no longer scared. With a bright smile, Delphine spoke to the audience, “Thank you, my dear citizens. I look forward to rebuilding this Kingdom to its old glory, and hopefully even beyond.”

There were a few loud cheers, and some applause.

Delphine nodded her approval. “I cannot wait to guide this Kingdom to a brighter future, but I can’t do that alone.”

The people in the audience frowned. Some mumbled with their neighbors, wondering what this ominous message meant.

“Therefore it is my great pleasure to announce to you; I shall not rule this Land alone as I could not have saved it alone. I have asked my dear Cosima, the amazing Witch Cosima, to rule besides me, as my Queen, as my Wife,” Delphine said. She beckoned Cosima to join her in front of the throne.

Cosima grinned, her tongue poking between her teeth as she took Delphine’s hand and stood besides her.

“We are engaged to be wed,” the Queen said, squeezing Cosima’s hand tightly in her own.

The confusion finally cleared, and the entire audience in the great hall erupted into grand cheers, Sarah and Helena were the noisiest. 

Neither of the women noticed it. They were staring at each other; remembering the soft whispered question Delphine had asked her only moments before her coronation. The, then soon to be, Queen could not imagine ruling this Kingdom alone, and she never again wanted to live a life without the Witch by her side. So Delphine had asked Cosima to marry her and stay in the castle. Cosima had simply smiled and told her yes, before they had been separated again to continue with the day’s formal events.

Once again, they had not time yet to be together. Queen Delphine needed to officially meet her citizens. There was to be a large feast outside, and it would be late in the night when Cosima and Delphine would finally be able to be alone.

Together, because Delphine refused to let go of Cosima’s hand, they strode down the aisle across the nobles of the Kingdom and left the great hall, where people were still cheering. The bells of the castle started ringing as they walked along the castle corridors and outside the main gate.

The fields in front of the castle were covered with people, all of who stood up from their seats or stopped dancing for a moment, and greeted their new Queen with loud hurrays. The dragons flew over the crowds, roaring their approval. The sun shone brightly, making the feast appear even more colorful and brilliant.

With bright smiles, Queen Delphine and her fiancé waved at the people. 

Those who had been at the coronation inside the grand hall were now joining the party outside. Sarah and Helena stood right besides Cosima, smiling at the cheerful couple. “You seem so happy, Queen Delphine with the pretty hairs,” said Helena with her mouth full; she had already found something to eat somewhere between the hall and the field.

Delphine simply smiled and nodded at the wild haired Witch.

Sarah in the meantime had her arm wrapped around Cosima’s shoulder. “Even if you become a Queen soon, you’ll still be a brat to me,” she said with a wink.

Cosima rolled her eyes at her sister. She did not mind her teasing; she had Delphine. 

Delphine who was greeting the people around her. Delphine with her pretty hairs, as said Helena a few minutes ago. Delphine with her royal crown. Delphine and her smile, her lovely voice, her hands moving in the air, her look full of kindness, her beauty marks, and her laugh.

It took less than a second for the Witch to recall every moment she has been spent with the blonde woman. The lake, the cabin in the woods, their first kiss, the others kisses, the days, the nights, and the battle. 

The fierce and the strong Delphine. 

Delphine. 

It seemed to Cosima that she could say this name for a century and never grow tired of it. She could wave goodbye to her natural life in the forest to stay with Delphine forever. Definitely, she could renounce everything she had in order to stay with her lover. 

Cosima did not notice anything around her, she only saw Delphine. Cosima had Delphine, Delphine had Cosima, for the rest of their lives. 

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time in the City of Lights was a little child. Every night, he had to listen Agnes Obel’s songs to fall asleep.  
> Nevertheless, that night, he woke up around 3 am. One of his Moms stood up and gave him a hug in a big chair (because, sometimes, the young children needed some hugs at 3 am).  
> The Mommy, holding her baby in her arms, listening his quiet breath, was thinking of a story she wanted to write with a young woman from a land far far away…   
> They needed an idea. When suddenly, Agnes Obel sung “The Curse”.   
> The Curse, the Curse… It could be an idea…   
> A curse like in a fairy tale? With a princess, a witch, a dragon, a castle, a keep and, of course, the famous and diabolic queen??!...   
> The next morning, the tired Mom texted to the young lady: “What about a fairy tale?  
> The young lady said yes and it was the beginning of a long and exciting journey. 
> 
> We hope you loved to read our little fantasy as much as we loved to write it together. 
> 
> All the chapters titles are the titles of an Obel’s song. If you want to discover this amazing artist, you’ll find some links below:  
> [The Curse](https://youtu.be/j1wgaFJ0750)   
> [Words are dead](https://youtu.be/7WR9YqsSSQ0)
> 
> For now, for professional and personal reasons, both of us need a writing break. But if, one day, this little child needs another cuddle in the middle of the night, we could come back with another fantasy…
> 
> We want to thank you for reading us and your nice comments. Please, don’t hesitate telling us your feelings and give us any suggestion.


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